Letter to the Editor: Proposed contract with TruGreen is very concerning
Sunday, June 8, 2014
To the Shoreline City Manager, City Council, and Public Works Director,
I noticed in this week’s staff report that the City expects
to contract with TruGreen for Landcare (Landscaping Services) for the City
Right of Way.
I find this news very concerning for two reasons.
1) I recall in the City Manager’s report in the Shoreline Area News a mention that this service will include “herbicide” applications. And now that I see it is TruGreen that is the expected recipient of the contract I find it even more appalling.
Perhaps you are aware of the association of TruGreen with Scott’s/Miracle Grow and their parent company Monsanto? A few years ago Scott’s was sued by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and Audubon for selling poisoned bird seed marketed as “wildlife friendly” and ended up paying a huge fine due to the toxic nature of their product. Below are just two articles about the problems with this company.
TruGreen is well known for their applications of toxic agents, including Roundup and many other pesticides.
I find it troubling that the City of Shoreline is considering hiring this company when our Sustainability Strategy and so many other documents call for less toxic solutions in dealing with our infrastructure. We have pledged many times to us the least toxic methods of controlling weeds and doing our landscaping.
It is hard for me to believe that there are no other companies that we could hire that would do this work effectively, but who do not have a reputation for using these dangerous chemicals. And with our families walking along these same streets where TruGreen had done the yard work, I fear the impacts to their health, not to mention that of the pets and wildlife that also have habitat here. These chemicals will drain directly into our creeks and watersheds that already suffer from water quality problems.
2) I also have a question about the $5000 for
“plant replacement” and wonder which plants will need replacing and why?
I urge you to re-examine this contract and consider other
alternatives that will be more in line with our community’s values.
I request that you refrain from having TruGreen do any
spraying whatsoever on my street.
Janet Way
Shoreline
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5 comments:
I second this letter, and would add that lawns treated with any chemicals have been shown to be dependent on these chemicals in the future, as their roots systems are made weaker, and are much more highly susceptible to root fungus and large die-offs. No matter what TruGreen has proposed to the city, their services will only cost us more in the long run.
As far as plant replacements go, I know of at least one Shoreline greenway, newly planted 2-3 years ago with many wonderful native plants only to be cut down and killed multiple times over by incompetent maintenance services running riding mowers and string trimmers right into, over, and across large trees and shrubs...when I complained, I was told they'd just be replaced....again.... Personally, I'd like to see the maintenance crew replaced.
Now, now, haven't you heard? The City's goal is to be sustainable in ALL respects. As you will hear the councilmembers repeat ad nauseam, the perfect is the enemy of the good. We need to attract economic development. So remember the sage advice of Billy Crystal's Fernando: "It's better to look good than to feel good, and Shoreline, you look mahvelous!"
If we're going to improve the quality of the water in our streams, we should choose to use non-toxic methods of reducing weeds. If we're going to improve the health of our salmon, we should choose to have higher water quality in our streams and sound. If we're going to improve the life of our children, we should choose to have healthier fish in the sound. We can do this.
$5000 plant replacement....they are dead because??? No guarentee from the company planting all these? Wrong plant for the location? Would you council people pay that out of your own pocket if this was your yard...which essentially it is, you are just using our wallets.
I stopped doing business with TruGreen on my own property because of their questionable business practices. To think that they are going to be able to practice on a larger scale is concerning. I don't want my money going to them, either directly or via my tax dollars. They are borderline scam artists.
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